Replacement plan is better

Thursday

Oct 31, 2013 at 12:01 AMOct 31, 2013 at 9:26 AM

Bold new plans often encounter resistance, and the vision unveiled in August that would transform the site of Veterans Memorial is no exception. The alternate plan offered belatedly last week by the Veterans Memorial board, while deserving of the hearing Franklin County commissioners gave it, offers little new potential for the $100 million-plus it would take to renovate the 59-year-old building and surrounding site.

Bold new plans often encounter resistance, and the vision unveiled in August that would transform the site of Veterans Memorial is no exception.

The alternate plan offered belatedly last week by the Veterans Memorial board, while deserving of the hearing Franklin County commissioners gave it, offers little new potential for the $100 million-plus it would take to renovate the 59-year-old building and surrounding site.

By contrast, the plan revealed this summer by the Columbus Downtown Development Corp. would be a major boost to the revitalization of Franklinton and fill in a remaining puzzle piece in the dramatic transformation of the Downtown riverfront.

In place of the Veterans Memorial building — which is long past its heyday as a concert and events venue — a public/private partnership would develop an amphitheater, a satellite location of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and 1,200 new residential housing units, along with a museum with interactive features that would continue to honor veterans and teach younger generations about their service.

Military veterans should be assured by the backing of one of Ohio’s most prominent veterans — combat pilot, astronaut and former Sen. John Glenn — that this new plan will be an attractive and appropriate commemoration of their service.

All of this would add to the vitality brought to the riverfront by COSI Columbus, which moved into the former Central High School building across the street from the county-owned Veterans site in 1999. Despite being a nationally recognized, award-winning science museum, COSI has remained isolated on the other side of the Scioto River from Downtown; the redeveloped Veterans plan would be a complementary attraction for local residents and out-of-town visitors to enjoy.

Furthermore, the CDDC has a track record of success in leveraging public and private dollars to undertake large-scale redevelopments of Downtown properties.

The organization was behind the Scioto Mile, the Columbus Commons park and the rehab of the Lazarus building into offices. And private funding for the Veterans plan has gotten a huge boost from an initial promised gift of $25 million from Limited Brands founder Leslie H. Wexner and his wife, Abigail.

The plan presented by the Veterans board, meanwhile, has no specific plan for raising the $100 million-plus that would be needed.

Board members suggested raising money for the project’s first phase, which would cost an estimated $49 million to $59 million, from veterans groups and foundations. Beyond that vague idea, though, there are no details.

Simply put, the CDDC plan moves Downtown, Franklinton and the riverfront forward with its new vision, while the board’s proposal would maintain the status quo, by sinking much more money into an aging venue that has struggled financially.

A suggestion by Commissioner Marilyn Brown that the CDDC and the Veterans board could work together to create some type of merged plan is well-intentioned but problematic, given the very divergent paths the two plans take. The CDDC plan clearly is the way to go for Columbus’ future.